Iceboy Violet’s ‘Drown to Float’ EP Sets Moody Trap Music Adrift
The Manchester artist's latest reimagines of-the-moment hits as soothing, nostalgic ambience.
iceboy-violet-drown-to-float-topnotes
June 24, 2020
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# Iceboy Violet’s ‘Drown to Float’ EP Sets Moody Trap Music Adrift
The Manchester artist's latest reimagines of-the-moment hits as soothing, nostalgic ambience.
## Our newest series 'Top Notes' considers the latest releases through layers of musical nuance. Similar to tasting a dish or smelling a perfume, the work is evaluated in a stream of consciousness: Top notes refer to striking first impressions, middle notes to the core character of the work, and base notes to the work's long-lasting take-aways.
Top notes
*Ambient trap loops, warped melodies, DJ Lostboi*
Middle notes
*Hallucinogenic, nostalgic, drifting, wisps of smoke*
Base notes
Deeply emotional ambient for stopping time and sitting with recent
memories.
On their new project, Iceboy Violet sets out to "bring you some calm."
In the past, Iceboy Violet's releases, like *Mook*, released in 2018 on
London's TT (A.K.A. Tobago Tracks), have been centered around a
distorted, confrontational re-imagination of UK club music that
"re-appropriates the energy, emotionality and resistance of grime music
to challenge heteronormativity and toxic masculinity."
[SoundCloud Content][1]{: target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"}
[1]: https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?visual=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Fplaylists%2F1071721732&show_artwork=true&maxwidth=500&maxheight=750&dnt=1
[Image: image00047-scaled.jpeg]
[Image: image00036-scaled.jpeg]
But on their new EP, *Drown to Float*, the Manchester-based artist
delivers a striking set of edits that stretch rap's moody pads and
hallucinogenic melodies into lush ambient. Inspired by [DJ Lostboi][1]{:
target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"}---a [malibu][2]{:
target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"} side project where trance
classics and trap are dragged out into hazy passages---*Drown to Float*
injects tracks by artists like Chicago drill legend Lil Durk and
country-trap up-and-comer RMR with dense reverb and emotional weight. It
pulls out the drama in every crooning ad-lib from Young Thug or
underlying guitar riff from Gunna---and it turns "Drip Too Hard" into
something weightless and passionate.
Listen to the release above, and support the project via [Iceboy
Violet's Bandcamp][3]{: target="_blank" rel="noreferrer
noopener"}---where profits from the release will be split between the UK
QTIBIPOC Emergency relief & Hardship Fund and a GoFundMe for a
friend of the artist's top surgery.
[1]: https://soundcloud.com/djlostboi
[2]: https://soundcloud.com/mmmmalibu
[3]: https://iceboyviolet.bandcamp.com/album/drown-to-float
---
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blueprint: article
title: 'Iceboy Violet’s ‘Drown to Float’ EP Sets Moody Trap Music Adrift'
date: 2020-06-24T13:30:44+02:00
wp_id: '187478'
subtitle: "The Manchester artist's latest reimagines of-the-moment hits as soothing, nostalgic ambience."
slug: iceboy-violet-drown-to-float-topnotes
teaser_image: legacy/iceboy-violet-drown-to-float-topnotes/a0796599390_10-2.jpg
contents:
-
type: text
text: |-
<h2><em>Our newest series ‘Top Notes’ considers the latest releases through layers of musical nuance. Similar to tasting a dish or smelling a perfume, the work is evaluated in a stream of consciousness: Top notes refer to striking first impressions, middle notes to the core character of the work, and base notes to the work’s long-lasting take-aways. </em></h2><div class="separator">Top notes<br>
<em>Ambient trap loops, warped melodies, DJ Lostboi</em></div><div class="separator">Middle notes<br>
<em>Hallucinogenic, nostalgic, drifting, wisps of smoke</em></div><div class="separator">Base notes<br>
<em>Deeply emotional ambient for stopping time and sitting with recent memories. </em></div>
-
type: text
text: '<p>On their new project, Iceboy Violet sets out to “bring you some calm.”</p><p>In the past, Iceboy Violet’s releases, like <em>Mook</em>, released in 2018 on London’s TT (A.K.A. Tobago Tracks), have been centered around a distorted, confrontational re-imagination of UK club music that “re-appropriates the energy, emotionality and resistance of grime music to challenge heteronormativity and toxic masculinity.”</p><p><a href="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?visual=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Fplaylists%2F1071721732&show_artwork=true&maxwidth=500&maxheight=750&dnt=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">SoundCloud Content</a></p>'
-
type: images
images:
- legacy/iceboy-violet-drown-to-float-topnotes/image00047-scaled.jpeg
- legacy/iceboy-violet-drown-to-float-topnotes/image00036-scaled.jpeg
-
type: text
text: '<p>But on their new EP, <em>Drown to Float</em>, the Manchester-based artist delivers a striking set of edits that stretch rap’s moody pads and hallucinogenic melodies into lush ambient. Inspired by <a href="https://soundcloud.com/djlostboi" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">DJ Lostboi</a>—a <a href="https://soundcloud.com/mmmmalibu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">malibu</a> side project where trance classics and trap are dragged out into hazy passages—<em>Drown to Float</em> injects tracks by artists like Chicago drill legend Lil Durk and country-trap up-and-comer RMR with dense reverb and emotional weight. It pulls out the drama in every crooning ad-lib from Young Thug or underlying guitar riff from Gunna—and it turns “Drip Too Hard” into something weightless and passionate.</p><p>Listen to the release above, and support the project via <a href="https://iceboyviolet.bandcamp.com/album/drown-to-float" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Iceboy Violet’s Bandcamp</a>—where profits from the release will be split between the UK QTIBIPOC Emergency relief & Hardship Fund and a GoFundMe for a friend of the artist’s top surgery.</p>'
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# Iceboy Violet’s ‘Drown to Float’ EP Sets Moody Trap Music Adrift The Manchester artist's latest reimagines of-the-moment hits as soothing, nostalgic ambience.
Chunk #2 (Position: 1)
# Iceboy Violet’s ‘Drown to Float’ EP Sets Moody Trap Music Adrift The Manchester artist's latest reimagines of-the-moment hits as soothing, nostalgic ambience. ## Our newest series 'Top Notes' considers the latest releases through layers of musical nuance. Similar to tasting a dish or smelling ...
Chunk #3 (Position: 2)
On their new project, Iceboy Violet sets out to "bring you some calm." In the past, Iceboy Violet's releases, like *Mook*, released in 2018 on London's TT (A.K.A. Tobago Tracks), have been centered around a distorted, confrontational re-imagination of UK club music that "re-appropriates the ener...
Chunk #4 (Position: 3)
Inspired by [DJ Lostboi][1]{: target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"}---a [malibu][2]{: target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"} side project where trance classics and trap are dragged out into hazy passages---*Drown to Float* injects tracks by artists like Chicago drill legend Lil Durk and ...